The following background information may present examples of specific aspects of the prior art (e.g., without limitation, approaches, facts, or common wisdom) that, while expected to be helpful to further educate the reader as to additional aspects of the prior art, is not to be construed as limiting the present invention, or any embodiments thereof, to anything stated or implied therein or inferred thereupon.
The following is an example of a specific aspect in the prior art that, while expected to be helpful to further educate the reader as to additional aspects of the prior art, is not to be construed as limiting the present invention, or any embodiments thereof, to anything stated or implied therein or inferred thereupon, By way of educational background, another aspect of the prior art generally useful to be aware of is that a pipe is a long conduit used to transport liquids or gases.
In many instances, pipelines are used to transport hydrocarbons, such as crude and refined petroleum, fuels, and other fluids including sewage, slurry, water, and beer. Typically, pipeline transport is the transportation of goods through the pipeline. The liquids and gases that are transported in pipelines and any chemically stable substance can be sent through a pipeline. Often the pipelines are placed subsurface. Often the subsurface includes permafrost.
It is known that thermal insulation reduces the transfer of thermal energy between objects of differing temperature, such that heat transfer between objects in thermal contact or in range of radiative influence is minimized. Thermal insulation can be achieved with specially engineered methods or processes, as well as with suitable object shapes and materials. Common insulation material includes foam, wool, and materials that are porous.
It is also known that when heated liquid or gas is transported through an insulated pipeline buried in permafrost, some heat may slowly escape through the insulation and thaw the underlying permafrost. Some permafrost may settle on thawing and this can be detrimental to the integrity of the pipeline.
In view of the foregoing, it is clear that these traditional techniques are not perfect and leave room for more optimal approaches.
Unless otherwise indicated illustrations in the figures are not necessarily drawn to scale.